19 things you didn't know about 'The Little Mermaid'

"The Little Mermaid" has withstood the test of time — here are some fun facts about it.

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Disney

With catchy songs like "Under the
Sea" and "Kiss the Girl," it's hard to imagine the Disney
universe without "The Little Mermaid." And, at nearly 30 years old, "The Little Mermaid" continues to be
enjoyed by new generations.

Even if you've seen the film at
least a dozen times in your lifetime, and have every back-flip,
tail color, and sassy line memorized by heart, you may not know
it's actually filled with hidden surprises and shocking pieces of
trivia even the most loyal fan wouldn't know.

“The Little Mermaid” almost didn’t happen.

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We almost didn't have one the most beloved Disney movies.

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Disney

The Disney studios were working
on a sequel to the popular mermaid comedy
"Splash" when Ron
Clements pitched his idea for "The Little Mermaid."
The then-Disney CEO nixed "The
Little Mermaid" temporarily, saying two mermaid movies would be a little
too much, according to CinemaBlend. He later reversed his
decision and the rest is Disney history.

Scuttle’s romantic squawks are an homage to a famous Russian composer.

Disney wanted Bea Arthur to voice Ursula.

Pat Carroll apparently wasn't the
first choice for the voice of Ursula. "Golden Girls" star
Bea Arthur
was exactly the person the
studios wanted to voice the sea witch, according to HuffPost but
apparently
her agent thought
otherwise.

Ursula isn’t an octopus.

Ariel’s cave full of treasures has some hidden Easter eggs.

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There are some familiar things in Ariel's cave of wonders.

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YouTube

Did you spot the bust of Abraham Lincoln
on one of the shelves in Ariel's
cave of wonders? Or what about the famed painting
"Magdalene With the Smoking
Flame" by Georges de
la Tour? Watch the scene with Ariel's solo "Part of Your World"
and keep your eyes peeled for any other hidden treasures.

Ariel’s solo was almost cut from the film.

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Part of Your World was almost removed.

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YouTube

Speaking of the song "Part of
Your World," it was almost removed from the film
after initial test
screenings. But, a
second round of screenings saved the sentimental scene from the
chopping block.

“The Little Mermaid” was the last film to use cel animation.

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The Little Mermaid was the last film to use cel animation.

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YouTube

Since nearly the beginning of
Disney animation, all the films at the studio used cel animation,
which required
tedious processes to make into
films. "The Little
Mermaid" was the last Disney film to use this type of animation
before the studio switched to the digital animation system CAPS,
according to Time.

Disney didn’t animate the bubbles seen in the film.

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They outsourced their bubble animation.

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YouTube

Due to limited resources and an
intense amount of required animation work, Disney
outsourced the animation of
bubbles seen in "The
Little Mermaid" to Pacific Rim Productions, according to the book
"The Political Economy of Disney: The Cultural Capitalism
of Hollywood."

The phallic symbol on the cover of “The Little Mermaid” VHS was accidental.

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The Little Mermaid's DVD cover has become the topic of conspiracy theories.

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Wikimedia

Although there was a rumor that
the phallic symbol was included purposefully by a jaded
employee,
Snopes has since debunked the
infamous rumor as just
that. The phallic image was created by accident by an animator
who was exhausted and in serious need of a nap.

Ariel’s features were based on Alyssa Milano.

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Alyssa Milano was the inspiration for Ariel.

Animator Glen Keane created Ariel
out of
Alyssa Milano's likeness,
according to Yahoo. He
used photos of the actress from when she appeared on the show
"Who's The Boss" to perfect Ariel's facial features. Milano did
not know she was the inspiration until much later.

“The Little Mermaid” is considered the beginning of the Disney Renaissance.

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The Little Mermaid was the start of a new era for Disney.

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YouTube

Given its commercial success,
"The Little Mermaid" is considered to be the
beginning of the Disney
Renaissance, which
spanned from 1989 to 1999. The era saw plenty of success and was
characterized by animated musicals that retold famous
stories.

There are lots of hidden cameos in the movie.

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There are other Disney cameos in The Little Mermaid.

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YouTube

Mickey, Goofy, Donald Duck,
Kermit the Frog, Mr. Limpet, and the Duke and King from
"Cinderella" all make surprise cameos
in the film. If you look closely,
you can spot each of the recognizable characters in their
specific scenes, but if you blink, you might miss it.

Speaking of cameos, there’s a few hidden Mickey’s in the film.

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Mickey is featured a couple times.

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YouTube

The first hidden Mickey
in the film is seen on Ursula's
contract for Ariel. The second is hidden a bit more
inconspicuously during
a scene with Prince Eric's
chef.